


Victoria

by missingnolovefic



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - War, Archon!Dorian, Black Divine!Felix, Gen, Tevinter Imperium, Tevinter-Qunari War, au in which Dorian leads Tevinter against the Qunaris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4320903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingnolovefic/pseuds/missingnolovefic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victoria Imperium! Archon Dorian has declared war against the Qunari after their latest transgression. Before the first battle, he speaks to his people - and the Magisterium.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Victoria

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skydiver_Tomyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skydiver_Tomyo/gifts).



> I remembered an old challenge (no clue where it was from) to only use lyrics of a song as dialogue. I set my player on shuffle, and Victoria by Krypteria popped up. It instantly reminded of the Tevinter Imperium, and the Tevinter-Qunari War.
> 
> The events of DA:I didn't happen, for one reason or another.
> 
> This is for Sky, my muse and enabler, who dragged me down into this fandom and won't let me get out. (Stop gifting me stuff kadan, at this rate, I'm unlikely to catch up with return-gifts!)

“Victoria Imperium!” the Archon shouted, lifting his staff to the sky. The army of mages before them roared back, echoing his rally. Staffs were knocked against the ground, while the Soporati pounded their weapons against their shields and stamped their feet. Mages in black and gold, or a dark enough colour with yellow embroidery for those of poorer means. Soldiers in dark grey armour, the Imperium's sigil embossed on their chests. Loud and terrifying, they screamed the cacophony of war.

 

“Victoria! Victoria! Victoria Imperium!” A thousand voices, raised in the name of Tevinter. A thousand more out for their own glory, but that was alright. They had a war to fight.

 

Next to him, the Black Divine shook his head with a sigh. Clasping the Archon's shoulder in a show of support, he looked sadly at his old friend. Felix had supported the Archon during his rise to power, had befriended him back when he was just another apprentice of his father's. Dorian, in turn, helped the Divine to find a secure place in the Imperial Chantry. Back then, neither of them had thought he'd become the chantry head after the previous Divine's demise, but here they were.

 

“Concordia in aeternum,” Felix murmured, and Dorian turned to shoot him a reproachful glare. Felix shrugged, then turned to the masses who quieted as he raised his arms. He let his gaze wander over them, young and old, mages and soldiers. He wondered how many of them would return once the war was over. Slowly, carefully, he picked up his staff, amplifying his voice as he spoke his next words with a spell.

 

“Victoria et gaudium, in saecula saeculorum.”

 

His words were met with cheers and exulted shouts. Many made the sign of the Maker, heads bowed, while others echoed his words. The Soporati started clanging their weapons against their shields again. Felix bowed his head, sad despite knowing the escalation of war was inevitable. For decades the Tevinter Imperium had been fighting the Qunari invaders. The loss of life was inexcusable. The Archon wanted to put a swift end to it- especially after what happened last month. Everyone of able body was recruited, riches or favours utterly disregarded. Dorian himself would lead their forces.

 

At times, Felix thought, he just wanted to avoid Livia. His wife and her parents had been very determined to finalize their agreement ever since Dorian's rise to power, and his own father had put a lot of pressure on his son to finally produce an heir. The Archon declaring he would participate in the war himself had been a two-edged sword – forcing the Magisterium into pledging themselves or their children to the war effort and facing death without an heir to secure his line – the outcry had been enormous.

 

Dorian silenced the crowd with a flick of his bejeweled hand. He looked splendid in the robes of his office, black and gold like the mages below him, but the sheer amount of jewelry in addition to the Archon crown of golden chains circling his head. Dorian turned slightly to face the Magisters gathered at his other side, adressing his words mostly to them but for everyone to hear.

 

“Here it is,” the Archon rumbled, voice grave, “your one moment of time.” He pointed his staff at them, before sweeping it over the assembled army in a grand dramatic gesture. Felix had to bite down a chuckle – Dorian had always liked his drama. The dull thump of his staffblade hitting the wooden podium echoed loudly in the silence, no doubt amplified by magic. He spread his arms wide, turning to include the army again. “Make them remember your name!”

 

Agitation spread amongst the gathered Magisters, before Magister Pavus stepped forth. Felix watched as father and son stared unblinkingly at each other, tension seeping through the quiet. The Divine gripped his staff hard, preparing to intervene in case old arguments and disagreements arose once more. Surely Halward was not foolish enough to publically undermine his son? The moment the thought flitted through his mind, Magister Pavus bowed deeply before the Archon, fist against his heart.

 

“Hear the roar of the world,” Halward quoted, head still bowed, voice resounding harshly through the hushed crowd. But the Magister was not done reciting the sacred tenements yet, a show of support Felix appreciated especially as a devotee, and a public demonstration the other Magisters could not ignore easily. Whatever dissent was brewing, they had to stand united before the people of the Imperium. “See your path into the light,” Pavus finished, finally straightening up.

 

Dorian nodded his acknowledgement. Stepping back, he pulled his staff back out from where it had embedded into the wood and shot gold sparks into the sky. The mages followed swift, the Magisters a hesitation behind. Each sending the colours of their house into the sky, the ones lacking bloodlines choosing the black of the Imperium. The soldiers roared.

 

“Now rise and make this your time!” The Archon cried out, raising his staff with a twirl. And the masses screamed, “Victoria! Victoria Imperium!”

 

“This is your time to shine!” Dorian shouted, whirling his staff around so it pointed at the Magisters, throwing them a glowering look along his stretched arm, cold grey eyes flashing gold with magic. “Now scream, as loud as you can: Victoria!”

 

And as one the Magisters sank to their knees, staves raised and heads bowed in obedience. The crowd went wild at the sight. It had been decades since an Archon had last managed to unite the Magisterium to a common cause. And it would be foolish for either of them to believe that opposition had fallen to the wayside, but the Qunari were a common enemy for them to face. For now, they had to prioritise.

 

“Victoria! Victoria Imperium!” the army chanted, voices hoarse but enthusiastic. The Magisters joined them quietly, but the magic that had amplified his and the Archon's speech did well at making them heard as well. With a swish of his robes, Dorian turned on his heel and marched off the platform, Felix close behind. The Archon and the Divine left the stage, united, the Magisters and an army at their command.

 

“Feel the moment?” Felix murmured, grinning crookedly at his old friend as they strode through the lines of Chantry honour guard. Dorian threw him a smirk over his shoulder. They boarded the Archon's private carriage, surrounded by his personal guard. When the door closed behind them and they'd settled on opposite sides, Dorian leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he took Felix' hand. The Divine squeezed it supportively.

 

“It's time to begin,” Dorian whispered, grey eyes flashing gold and green. They had declared war – and Dorian would make sure victory would be theirs.

 

 _Victoria Imperium_ , indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Latin, roughly translated:  
> Victoria imperium, concordia in aeternum - victory to the empire, harmony/unity in eternity  
> Victoria et gaudium in saecula saeculorum - vicotry and joy to a united world (or from eternity to eternity, if it's derived from the phrase "per omnia saecula saeculorum")
> 
> I'm hoping to write a piece on what Bull is doing in this 'verse (spoiler: he's not Tal-Vashoth) and maybe a third part (which has Sky all excited already, but I'm not saying anything else at this point).
> 
> Despite being flirty-touchy-feely at the end there, Dorian and Felix aren't anything but friends.
> 
> Comments and Concrit welcome!


End file.
